


Lights go out

by CustardCreamies



Category: The Grand Tour (TV) RPF
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Racing on snow, Snow, spa
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-20
Updated: 2017-01-20
Packaged: 2018-09-18 21:01:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,791
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9402716
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CustardCreamies/pseuds/CustardCreamies
Summary: Y/N wins a contest to drive with The Grand Tour presenter of her choice at any track she chooses. She chooses Spa and Richard Hammond and this is what happens....





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [thatdankhammondlover](https://archiveofourown.org/users/thatdankhammondlover/gifts).



> This is for my good friend Thatdankhammondlover :)

You read the email over and over again, blinking and rubbing your eyes to make sure what you're reading is really real and not just a trick of your mind.

_Dear Miss Y/L/N_

_I am writing to inform you that you have been the successful applicant in our "ride with the Tour" contest. Attached to the email is the flight tickets and information on the circuit you have chosen. May I take this time to congratulate you and to tell you that Mr Richard Hammond is looking forward to taking you round the Circuit de Spa- Francorchamps._

_If you can attend the dates agreed, please reply to this email._

_Sincerely_   
_Andy Wilman._   
_(Producer of The Grand Tour)_

You put a hand over your mouth to try to contain your squeals and, with shaking hands, confirm your attendance.

* * *

 A few days later you are standing in the pit lane of the freezing cold Spa. It had snowed heavily overnight and the track was covered in a layer of fine white powder.

You had been, at first, dismayed to find out that it had snowed so badly as you had thought it would call the track drive off, but luckily a member of the production team told you that they had snow chains to attach to the car so it could all go ahead as planned.

You were waiting in one of the many empty garages lining the side of the pit lane for Richard to arrive, and you were very nervous. You see...you had a little crush on him.

Quite a big crush.

The type of crush that even if you saw a glimpse of his warm brown eyes, your stomach would go all warm and you'd feel your heart hammer in your chest hard.

Yeah one of those crushes unfortunately. Ones that could never happen and made you sad that the person causing this emotion was someone you couldn't actively have.

You were taken out of your thoughts about unattainable crushes by the roar of an engine. You look up and you can't help the sound that comes out of your mouth.

Richard is driving up the pit lane towards you in quite possibly your favourite car in the whole world. The (car choice)

Richard pulls up alongside you and rolls down the window. Your stomach does it's familiar flip as you look into his warm eyes and he smiles that signature smile "Hi! Y/N right?"

You are frozen for a few seconds and you nod slightly in reply.

Richard's grin falters a little "uh, are you okay?"

You mentally shake yourself back to reality and say quietly "oh um sorry it's...cold....yes I'm Y/N"

Richard's smile returns "Great! Well Y/N why don't you hop into the car and we can get down to the warm up laps before we give this old girl the beans" he revs the engine and watches as an awed grin spreads across your face.

"S-sounds good" you stutter as you fumble for the door handle. After a few minutes of struggling, Richard leans over the passenger seat to open the door for you. You thank him softly and climb into the thankfully warm car.

"Now" Richard says as you put your seatbelt on "first of all we are going to do a few warm up laps to get our tyres ready and then I shall take you out on a flying lap, sound good?"

You nod "yep, that sounds great!"

Richard gives you another tummy fluttering smile and exits out of the pit lane and onto the track.

"So, how did you get into...this? You know, driving and The Grand Tour?" Richard asks as a conversation starter as he makes his way out on track.

You briefly explain to him about your love of cars as a kid and of Top Gear of course and Richard listens to you intently as you talk. Over the couple of warm up laps you do, Richard asks you all sorts of questions like if you had pets (you had a dog which he really loved to ask questions about) and what you did for a living. It was a way to get to know you and to also make the warm up laps interesting.

Pretty soon though, Richard was slowing down in order to stop on the grid. He guided the car onto the pole position spot and looked over to you "you ready for this?"

You nod, feeling your heart hammering in your chest as the adrenaline surged through. You looked out at the track in front of you and saw, out of the corner of your eye, that Richard had his eyes on you.

You take a deep breath "Ready" you reply, your voice betraying your nerves.

Richard's expression softens "there's no need to be scared" he murmurs as he reaches across to rub a calming circle on your hand (which makes your heart beat THAT much faster) "I'll get you home in one piece"

You look over at him and smile at him "I'm not scared"

"Good" he replies as he gazes out over the track "as the lights are going out"

You look out at the set of lights on top of the bar, five red lights.

Four.

Three.

Two.

One.

The lights went out and Richard was off the line like a rocket. You felt yourself be pushed back into the seat as Richard stormed up the straight, the barriers and stands going past you in blurs of colour.

Richard slowed down a bit for the corner and managed to oversteer around it, making the back end kick out. You felt a smile light up your face as Richard made it round the corner and up the next straight. It wouldn't be too long until you saw Eau Rouge, which was your favourite corner on this circuit.

Eau Rouge, with its steep climb and wicked sharp cornering. It was a devil of a corner and many an F1 driver's worst nightmare. But you loved it for it's dangerous beauty.

Soon Eau Rouge came into view and you found yourself gripping hold of your seat as the corner came into view, snow flying past you in flurries. You look over to Richard to see him concentrating quite furiously on what was ahead of him, making quick and slick gear changes as he charged up the small incline. You felt yourself get pressed deeper into the seat as he navigated the corner, getting the car out the other end safely. Eau Rouge was over in a flash.

Richard turned to look at you and grinned, his eyes bright and happy. "See? I told you I'd get you over that safely"

You look over at him and know your own joy is reflected in your eyes. The feeling of flying over Eau Rouge, especially Eau Rouge in the snow, was indescribable. It was quite possibly the best moment of your whole life.

The rest of the ride around the track was pretty fantastic, with Richard slipping and sliding the car every which way. Every single corner took your breath away and made your heart sing with joy at being able to go this fast around a track you truly adored.

But pretty soon it was all over. As Richard took the tricky Bus Stop chicane with ease, you knew it was the end of the ride.

Richard looked over to you as he crossed the line and drew the car to a stop just before the pit lane exit, noticing how sad you had gotten "Y/N? Are you okay?"

You turn to look at Richard and sigh a little "I'm sad it's over"

Richard chuckles softly "I understand, I guess you enjoyed it then?"

You allow a small smile to light up your face as you reply "I really did yes, I will never forget how it felt to  
fly over Eau Rouge in the snow"

Richard looks at you for a second, and then back to the snow covered track "maybe this isn't the end"

"Huh?" You look at him and blink in confusion "what do you mean?"

Richard sighs and looks back over at you "what I'm saying is, maybe this doesn't have to be the end. If you enjoyed the ride so much, maybe I could offer you more? If you want that of course"

You blink at him, not really understanding "what are you saying, Richard?"

"I'm saying that I really like you and your enthusiasm and I want to offer you the chance to come work with me...I mean us on The Grand Tour"

Your mind fizzles out on the "I really like you part" and you feel like you're spacing out. It takes Richard calling your name three times to break you out of your trance.

"Y/N? Finally! I was getting worried there! Are you okay? Do you need air?" Richard's brown eyes filling with concern.

You shake your head and smile softly up at Richard "No I'm okay, sorry to worry you. I'm just in shock, you're seriously giving me a job on The Grand Tour?"

Richard nods.

"And you like me?" You ask shyly.

A warm smile appears on his face, making your stomach flutter again. "I do" Richard answers softly.

You take a little time to process this and then reply "I like you too"

"That's good" Richard grins "because I would very much like to take you to dinner right now, to talk more about everything"

You reach over with a shaking hand and gently take his hand in yours. "I would very much like that"

Richard smiles at you, and his eyes flicker to your lips. You subconsciously lick yours as you both lean forward and kiss each other.

Richard kisses you quite softly and you sigh into the kiss and reach over to tangle your fingers into his hair. You hear Richard hum in appreciation and he kisses you just that little bit harder.

When you part you swear you can see love hearts in his eyes and you feel light headed and faint, but full of happiness.

"That was..quite good" Richard says after a few moments, licking his lips.

"It was" you reply softly, your cheeks red.

"So..how about I take you to dinner now and we can discuss the job?"

"Sounds good to me" you reply as Richard brings the car back to life and takes the car back into the pits so the crew can take the snow chains off and then drive the car towards the restaurant in question.

It was, quite simply, the start of a new chapter in your life. A new and exciting chapter.

**Author's Note:**

> Please comment/kudo if you enjoyed! <3


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